Drifting valve



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JOHN w. RICHARDSON ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 7, 1939 PATENT --.0.-FFlCE- DRIFTING VALVE tilt We shman, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor .to ,The Prime .Manufacturing Company, Milnpplication 'December 13, 1937, Serial No. 179,494

[a lass. (01. 121 133) This invention appertainsto ting val-vesfor use with certain locomotivesfandis' an improvement on my pending application Serial No. 114,776, fled December 8,- 1 936.

While the drifting valve shown and described in the mentioned application effectively accomplishes its purpose, the same was costly to manufacture due to the weight thereof and the necessary machine work thereon.

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of my invention to. provide a drifting vvalve, which will require a minimum amount of material, whereby the weight and cost thereof will be materially reduced, and whereby a compact and durable structure will be had.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide novel means for forming the various parts of. the valve relative to one another, whereby all parts can be easily assembled and taken apart for cleaning, repairing, and the like, and whereby machine work will be reduced to a minimum.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a drifting valve embodying a main body casting having enlarged openings in the upper face thereof for the reception of valve seat castings having interengaging coupling members formed thereon, the valve seat castings being held in place on the body by means of removable cap screws.

With these and other objects in view, the in;- vention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevationv of my improved drifting valve, showing the same applied to the steam chest of a locomotive, the steam chest being shown in longitudinal section.

Figure 2 is a central, longitudinal sectional view through my improved drifting valve.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter D generally indicates my improved drifting valve, and C a steam chest with which the same can be associated.

The steam chest is of the usual or any preferred construction, and includes the centrally disposed main steam supply channel 5, the exhaust channels 6, and the cylinder port cavities T. The improved drifting valve D includes a main housing casting 8 having a bottom wall 9, side walls Ill, and a top wall I I. The ends of the casting 8 are provided with enlarged threaded openings I2'for receiving pipe sections I3, which are adapted to be coupled by elbows I4 with the cylinder port cavities I. The top wall II of the casting is provided with enlarged openings I5, 5 and the body 8 between the openings is divided by a central partition I6. Below the openings I5 and in axial alinement therewith are annular centering and guide ribs II, the purpose of which will be later set forth. 10

Detachably received within the top openings I5 are valve cages I8, and .these cages have formed thereon and communicating therewith right-angularly disposed interengaging elbow coupling members I9. The coupling members I9 can be provided with perforations 20, whereby communication can be established with the atmosphere.

Each cage I9 has formed therein an axially disposed valve seat 2| on which are adapted to seat by steam pressure, valve bodies 22. The cages inward of the valve seats I2 have formed therein openings 23, whereby free flow of fluid into the cages below the valve seats from the cylinder is permitted.

The bottom wall 9 of the casting 8 has formed therein a longitudinally extending channel-way 25, the opposite ends of which open into the casting 8 below the valve bodies 22 by ports 28. The channel-way 25 is adapted to be connected by a pipe length 21 with the main steam supply channel 5 of. the steam chest.

Adjustable hand screws 28 are carried by the bottom wall 9 for engaging the valve bodies, whereby the valve bodies can be forcibly held on their seats when occasion arises.

By referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the lower ends of the cages I 8 are received by the ribs I1, and that the upper ends of the cages carry outstanding ribs 29., through which are adapted to be inserted cap screws 30. These screws are threaded in suitable sockets 3I formed in the upper surface of the casting 8. Suitable packing rings can be interposed between the cages I8 and the top wall II of the casting, and the cages and said top Wall can be provided with seats for engaging the packing.

The operation of my drifting valve is identical with the drifting valve described in the pending application, and hence the operation of the present valve will not be described.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the valve cages can be readily and easily secured in place by the cap screws, and that the entire casing consists of only three castings,

namely, the main body casting 8, and the valve cage castings 18. When the valve cage castings are removed, access to the interior of the main body casting is readily had, and the valves can be instantly removed from the cages for repair to themselves and to their seats.

By constructing the valve in the manner described, the over-all height of the valve is materially reduced, and the excessive weight of the valve is eliminated, which materially lowers the cost of the entire apparatus.

Changes in details may be made'without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

l. A drifting valve for steam engines compris ing, a single main body casting having its opposite ends open, a central partition in said casting, the top wall of the casting being provided with enlarged openings on each side of the partition,

means for establishing communication between the chambers defined by the central partition, valve cages detachably fitted in the enlarged openings in the top wall having interengaging elbow coupling members formed thereon, and

means detachably connecting the cages to the top wall of the casting.

2. A drifting valve for steam locomotives comprising, a main body casting having its opposite ends open, and a central partition between said open ends, the upper wall of said casting having enlarged openings therein, and the bottom wall of said casting on its inner face having annular confining ribs in axial alinement with said top wall openings, valve cage castings detachably fitted in the main body casting through the top wall openings and received in said ribs, interengaging elbow coupling members formed on the valve cages, said valve cages having outstanding flanges overlying the top wall of. the main body casting, cap screws extending through the flanges and threaded into the main body casting, said cages having valve seats formed thereon, valves slidably mounted in said cages for engaging said seats, and means for establishing communication between the chambers defined by the central partition below said valves.

JOHN W. RICHARDSON. 

